


Tabula Rasa

by wuthering_rose



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:00:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wuthering_rose/pseuds/wuthering_rose
Summary: Set in Season Two, with events beginning shortly after the Drill.Appa is not the only member of Team Avatar that is captured by the Dai Li. When Zuko sets out to free Appa, he realizes his jailbreak just became more complicated.Fic will contain torture, brainwashing, and in later chapters, characters dealing with PTSD. Sensitive chapters will be marked accordingly.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 69





	1. Curiosity and Consequence

TW: Torture, Brainwashing

> _"Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing" - George Orwell, 1984_

Katara lay on her side, facing away from the door. For the past few hours, she had kept her breathing even and limbs still. She waited patiently for Sokka to begin to snore and for Aang’s tossing and turning to subside. Toph was trickier, even though her room was directly across from her’s. She resolved to simply wait. It was not an easy task, given how comfortable the bed Joo Do had provided was. Her pillow seemed to beg her to simply shut her eyes.  
  
When the moon finally cleared the tops of the buildings and trees, Katara sat up. Her Water Tribe blues were traded for the dark greens and browns of the Earth Nation. Her brown hair was braided back into a low bun. Even her mother’s necklace was removed from her neck, wrapped tightly around her left wrist, and tucked into her sleeve. Her only identifying characteristic was the waterskin that hung over her shoulders, the cap nudging against her left hip every so often. She tied a jade-colored scarf over her nose and mouth, hoping it would give her opponents little to go on. Of course, blue eyes were not common in Ba Sing Se, but she was hardly the only Water Tribe member looking for refuge. She snuck out of the window slowly, carefully to shift her weight silently.  
  
The streets were silent with the exception of the occasional cry of the cat owl. Only a few of the hanging lanterns still flickered, but it did not matter to Katara. She had the moon. Yue, help me, she thought. It could not hurt to have friends in the Spirit World. She crept along in the shadows, pausing each time a lamp was lit or a floorboard creaked. At times, she crawled forward on her hand and knees. At others, she ran as fast as her feet would carry her. But with Yue’s grace, patience, and luck, Katara made it back to the alley that she froze Jet to.  
  


>   
>  _“Katara!” Jet cried out, his hands still struggling against her frozen prison. She kept her back towards him. “Katara, please. I’ve changed. You have to believe me-”  
>    
>  She turned on her heel then, shaking with rage. She was screaming and spitting. She looked like a madwoman, she knew, but she did not care.  
>    
>  “The only mistake I made was believing you, Jet,” she spat his name as if it was the foulest curse she could think of, “and you must think me naive if I would make the same mistake twice.” She closed the distance between them. He was frozen a good five or six feet off the ground, but she did not raise her chin to meet his eyes. Instead, she melted the water suddenly, bringing Jet to his knees. When he looked up, his hands palms up in surrender, she froze the water surrounding him. She liked this position better. She liked being able to look down on him.  
>    
>  “Please-”  
>    
>  “What? You think I’ll forgive you just because you asked nicely? Or did you think if you threw a wink my way I would forget all about the village you tried to destroy?”  
>    
>  “I-”  
>    
>  “The next time I lay eyes on you, Jet, will be the last time we meet. I swear,” she hissed. Aang was at her side then, his hand on her arm.  
>    
>  “Katara, let’s go. Anger is like-”  
>    
>  “Spare me the proverbs, Aang.” She did not need to look at him to see how her words had fallen. The mechanical way he let go of her told her all she needed to know. It was Sokka who managed to cut through her anger. He placed a hand on her shoulder.  
>    
>  “He’s not worth it.”  
>    
>  “You can say that again,” she said, crossing her arms as she turned to follow her brother’s lead. She pretended she did not hear Jet’s next words.  
>    
>  “There’s a slip of paper in my pocket. It has my address. If you want to find me- whether that’s to fight or talk- you know where I’ll be.” But as the gang set off in the opposite direction, Katara lowered her hands, allowing the water to melt and pool before whisking it back into her waterskin. If a piece of paper slipped into her hand, and if she bent it dry before slipping it into her belt, so be it.  
>  _  
> 

She unrolled the parchment again, checking it for the hundredth time. She crossed the now empty village square, leaving the nicer aspects of the upper ring behind. The streets cobblestones were unevenly placed and jagged and the stench was nauseating. She was shocked to think Jet would live in someplace so run down, but she shook the thought from her head as fast as she could. It was probably just a ploy to make him seem down on his luck and more sympathetic to the unsuspecting. When she neared the shanty that Jet claimed to live in, she crossed the street and began to use the clothesline to scale the walls. After a few first failed attempts, she climbed to the roof, sweating and shaking. She lay flat on her stomach, staring into the darkened windows of Jet’s shanty. Her disappointment was bitter in her mouth. She assumed that she would find him awake and up to something nefarious. Perhaps a plot to poison the fire nation’s water supply or blow up all the fire nation colonies. She did not think Jet would be doing something as boring as sleeping in the middle of the night.  
  
Minutes grew into hours and the moon began its descent. She realized she should have left something behind- a scroll at the very least- so they would not worry about her. She only had a few more hours until they woke up if she was lucky. Sokka’s stubbornness on sticking to schedule was grating on everyone’s nerves, but he was not deterred. With Appa gone, she was sure Aang would tear apart Ba Sing Se if he thought she was missing. _How could I be so careless?_  
  
She was still cursing herself when stone hands grabbed her wrists, yanking her from the roof and depositing her none too gently into the waiting arms of a Dai Li agent below. Before she could scream, stone hands covered her mouth and shut her jaw with such a severe force she heard something crack and felt the pain shoot up towards her ear. Another pair of stone hands bound her ankles together. It almost came as a relief when a pair of human hands yanked a cloth over her eyes, tying it tightly in the back, without regard to the way it pulled on her hair.  
  
A few more moments of pain and then she went limp, slipping into unconsciousness against her protests.

  


\--  


When she woke, she was still bound. Her right arm was broken- she could tell both from the unnatural angle and unbearable ache- and her wrists were bound behind her back. From her hips down, she was encased in stone. More stone covered her shoulders and her neck, forcing her to hold her head up straight. Her eyes were still covered with a cloth, but her stone gag had been mercifully replaced with a cloth one. She attempted to wriggle to and fro to test the limits of her restraints and regretted it immediately. Despite the gag, she was sure her screams would ring out throughout the entirety of Ba Sing Se. Good, she thought grimly, maybe then they’ll be able to find me. She thought of washing each and every one of the Dai Li away in a tidal wave. It was a comforting daydream.  
  
“Well, well, it looks like our guest has finally woken up,” a deep voice purred, moving closer. The cloth was removed from her eyes and she struggled to adjust her vision. A dimly lit lantern seemed to be her only source of light. She could not make out her captor’s features.  
  
“The Earth King has invited you to Lake Lagoi, Katara,” the voice purred, standing on her right now. She could feel his breath on her ear and tried to lean away. “You would be honored to accept.” She furrowed her eyebrows. _In the name of Tui and La, what on Earth-_  
  
The lantern began to spin in a slow circle.

  


\--  


“The Earth King has invited you to Lake Lagoi, Katara,” it was a nasal voice that attempted to persuade her this time. “You would be honored to accept.” Katara sniffed a few times before forcing a sneeze. She heard the disgusted gasp from the man and could not help but smile, even as she felt a stone fist send her head reeling. Blood pooled into her mouth and when they removed her gag to ensure she was not choking, she spat with all the force she could muster.  
  
They did not feed her for some time after that. It might have been days, given the intensity of her hunger pains, but it was hard to tell in a place where the only light was from that damn lantern that was always on the verge of flickering but never went out. It did not matter. She would take her satisfaction when she could.

  


\--  


“The Earth King has invited you to Lake Lagoi, Katara,” the deep voice returned after so many other voices had failed. “You would be-”  
  
Katara did her best to mimic his baritone, even through the gag. She was missing one of her left molars now and her gag was so tight it forced her mouth open, leaving her lips and tongue cracked and bleeding. It seemed worth it when the man drew close, rage contorting his features. He smacked her with an open palm, but she returned her eyes to his features, memorizing them, as he stood over her. Long Feng. She was giddy with the realization. Her tormentor had a face. Her tormentor had a name. And when she was free, he would answer for every moment she spent suffering as his captive.  
  
“Very well, Katara. Perhaps it is time to employ alternative tactics.”  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him, hoping she still looked cocky and self-assured.  
  
“It would have been easier to simply visit Lake Lagoi, my dear.”  
  
He held her mother’s necklace in front of her then and she tried to lunge forward as if this thousandth try would surely break her free from her stone bindings.  
  
“I would have even let you keep this little trinket,” Long Feng sighed, pursing his lips together in false sympathy, before leaning close to whisper in her ear.  
  
“But when I am through with you, my dear, you will not even recognize it. You will just be another orphan in Ba Sing Se. And if the Avatar did manage to come to your rescue, you would not recognize him either.”  
  
It was the first time in weeks he heard her scream.  
  
He smiled. It was a small comfort, after so many futile sessions.

  


\--  


The cloth was removed from her eyes. The lantern continued to spin in its slow circle.  
  
“What is your name?” The voice asked as the gag was removed.  
  
“Katara. The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Daughter of Chief Hadoka and Kya, now gone. Sister to Sokka-“  
  
The gag was replaced. She wished she was born a fire bender. She wished that when they removed her gag, she could burn them all to pieces.  
  
Footsteps retreated, leaving Katata alone with her thoughts. She finished her speech in her head, determined to hold on to her identity. They would not take this away from her.

_Granddaughter to Kanna. Friend of Avatar Aang. Friend to Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender in the world. Former pupil of Master Pakku. I am Katara, the last waterbender of my tribe._

  


\--  


There was a light rap on the door. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her good hand. Her right arm was still resting in a sling. “Come in,” she called.  
  
Long Feng entered the room and she made an attempt to curtsy, but he waved a hand.  
  
“No need for such formalities, my child. You have been through enough.”  
  
“Thank you, Long Feng.”  
  
“You are welcome.” He paused, taking a seat across from her sleeping roll. “I bring bad news.”  
  
She followed suit, sitting back on her roll as well.  
  
“We are still unable to verify your identity, which means we cannot allow you to roam freely. It is clear you have been through much, but without knowing who you are we cannot permit you to enter Ba Sing Se.”  
  
She nodded, her disappointment sinking her heart like a stone.  
  
“You cannot recall anything? Not even your name?”  
  
She shook her head. “I am sorry.”  
  
Long Feng placed a firm hand on her right shoulder, and she winced slightly. “Nothing to apologize for, my child. We will keep looking.”  
  
“Thank you, Long Feng. You have been so kind.”  
  
He smiled. 


	2. Reconnaissance

TW: Violence

>   
>  _“Real life isn’t about heroes and villains. Just ordinary people making choices they have to live with.” - Kat Kruger, The Night Has Teeth_

Zuko wanted to enjoy his night with Jin, he really did. But with every smile or giggle he earned from her, he felt his stomach flip. He was lying to her. He remembered Lee and Sela’s faces when they saw him bend. Jin would not be here with him if she knew the truth. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, no matter how softly they had kissed.  
  
It was on the walk home that he first saw the poster. The Avatar’s bison. He tucked the poster away and continued on his walk home. Part of him wished he was strong enough to simply ignore the poster and keep moving on. He could be happy as Lee. He could serve tea alongside his Uncle and they could live comfortably. He did not have to be the banished price. Lee certainly did not have cruel father or twisted sister. _I could be happy,_ he thought.  
  
It was a pretty thought, but not a very practical one. The Avatar was in Ba Sing Se. His past was already racing to catch up with him. He burst through the doorway of their apartment, unsure if it was anger or excitement that propelled him forward. Uncle looked up from his tea, but was not startled. He was well acquainted with Zuko’s outbursts after three years at sea and the slamming of the door was relatively tame in comparison.  
  
“Was your evening with the young lady that awful?” Iroh asked, eyebrows raised.  
  
“No, Uncle. This has nothing to do with Jin.” He sighed, exasperated, crossing the room and entering his room, slamming the sliding door shut.  
  
Iroh shrugged, picking his chopsticks up and beginning to pick at his sticky rice. It was only a matter of time before Zuko reemerged and shared what was truly eating away at him. Perhaps he might even get to finish his rice beforehand.  
  
“Actually, Uncle, could I talk to you?” His voice was hushed, his head hung low. Iroh looked at the slightly ajar sliding door, noting how it did not fit as nicely in the frame as before. _Young men and their tempers._  
  
“Of course, Lee. Come keep an old man company while he eats.” Iroh smiled as Zuko sat crossed legged across from him, his hands gripping his knee.  
  
“She is a nice girl. I think we had a good time together,” Zuko began, unable to keep the blush from creeping across his cheeks. Perhaps, if his nephew had not just broken the door to his bedroom, Iroh could have beamed at him. But there was something else at work. Iroh raised an eyebrow, urging him to continue, while silently pleading with the Spirits. _Would it be so terribly burdensome to grant my nephew one night of peace?_  
  
“But I found this on the way back home,” Zuko continued, unravelling the poster and pushing it towards his Uncle. Iroh nodded.  
  
“The Avatar must be close, then.”  
  
“He won’t leave his bison behind.”  
  
“The ties between an Avatar and their animal guide run deeper than you can imagine, my nephew. I imagine the Avatar is quite devastated over such a loss.”  
  
“I don’t know what to do, Uncle.”  
  
“What do you want to do?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Tell me, if we removed all external influences, what would be left? What would you choose?”  
  
“I- I am not sure.”  
  
“It is never an easy question to answer, dear nephew. But it is one only you can. You must walk this path alone.” Zuko groaned and Iroh smiled.  
  
“Whatever you choose, you will have my full support. This I promise to you.”  
  
“Thank you, Uncle,” Zuko nodded and bowed his head, standing to leave. He hovered at his door. “For the advice and for encouraging me to go out. It was fun.” He admitted, sheepishly. Iroh beamed. “Sleep well, Lee.” 

  


\--  
“Toph! Aang!” Sokka yelled out, tearing through the small house with all the force of a hurricane. He barged through doors and yanked open closets.  
  
“Snoozles, what’s got your panties in a bunch?” Toph yawned, stretching lazily even as she heard him frantically searching the house. Aang, to his credit, seemed to take it slightly more seriously but his eyebrows were nearly kissed his nonexistent hairline.  
  
“Yeah, Sokka, what’s going on?”  
  
“Katara is gone,” Sokka nearly growled. “So if you two would be so kind as to wake up and get to work my baby sister is missing!”  
  
“Slow down, Sokka,” Toph said, her expression blank. “Maybe Sugar Queen just went out for some errands and got held up in the market.”  
  
“Sure, Toph. Because we all know the universe is always so good to us. And it’s not like Joo Dee is trying to keep us from meeting the Earth King and it’s not like the Dai Li aren’t some of the sketchiest people we’ve met since Jet. Speaking of, who is still somewhere in the city with a bone to pick against us and probably still making googly eyes at Katara. So, sure Toph. I’ll just calm down and just assume she’s not in any danger!” He yelled, towering over the girl. Toph rolled her grey eyes and Aang placed a hand on Sokka’s forearm, still too short to reach his shoulder.  
  
“She’s a master waterbender, Sokka. I am sure she can look after herself.”  
  
“Appa was a ten ton flying bison.”  
  


  


\--  
She sat a small table, picking at her meager meal. A small bowl of pan noddles and roasted chicken with a small cup of water. Eating was not an easy task, given how her good arm was still in its sling, so she took her time no matter how her stomach protested. The door opening startled her and she knocked over the cup in her haste.  
  
“My apologies, my lady,” one of younger guards, Geli, apologized as he knelt down in time with the prisoner. She took a blanket off her sleeping mat, but Geli stopped her. “You cannot mop it up with that. Whatever happened to you that took your memories and the use of your arm surely will not improve by sleeping in wet sheets.”  
  
“Well, I have to clean it up somehow,” she murmured, but placed the blanket on her sleeping mat all the same.  
  
“I will go fetch a mop.” Geli stated. She was so overwhelmed when Geli was not angry and meant to help her, she completely forgot to ask him why he had entered so suddenly.  
  
As Geli shut the door and walked down the hall, he bowed his head as he approached Long Feng. “She does not appear to remember her bending, sir.”  
  
“Excellent. We’ll have to conduct a more thorough experiment later, of course.”  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  


  


\--  
He dressed in all black and slung his dao swords into their sheath. As he picked up his mask, there was a light rap on the sliding door. He hesitated for a moment, before deciding to simply leave through the window. As it rattled open in its frame, Iroh opened the door and frowned.  
  
“It is impolite to leave so abruptly without explanation, nephew.” Zuko sighed.  
  
“Can’t the lectures wait until later?”  
  
“Did you know the Blue Spirit is still a wanted man, even in the Earth Kingdom?” Zuko resisted the urge to bring his palm up to his forehead, but only barely.  
  
“It’s important, Uncle.”  
  
“More important than your life?” Iroh asked, crossing the room to place his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko expected to find disappointment- he was used to that, surely- but only saw fear. He felt a lump in his throat.  
  
“How long have you known?”  
  
“Since the first.” Zuko nodded. He had been stupid to think he could keep a secret from Uncle. He must have been careless and let something slip. He knew Uncle was aware of how he had stolen back on the road, but he did not realize that Uncle had always known of his supposedly secret identity.  
  
“I know the apartment is more humble than you are used to,” Iroh began and Zuko huffed.  
  
“I’m not going out to steal riches.”  
  
“No?”  
  
“No. I’m going to find the Avatar’s bison and then I am going to free it.”  
  
“All by yourself?”  
  
“You think I can’t?”  
  
“I think only a fool runs headfirst into danger without back-up.”  
  
  
  


  


\--  
Truthfully, Sokka had wanted to pull a sword on Joo Dee from the first time they met. There was always something about the woman that unnerved him. In other circumstances, he might have lorded it over the rest of their heads that he had been right. But with Katara gone, he did not have that luxury. Aang initially had suggested asking Joo Dee but Sokka was sure his opinion on how the questioning should go would be quite different from what Aang had in mind. So he sent Aang out to pass out flyers, while Sokka enlisted Toph’s help. Toph had Joo Dee pinned to the wall, while Sokka leveled the sword at her throat.  
  
“Where is my sister?”  
  
“Honestly, Master Sokka, I have no information as to the whereabouts of Master Katara. But I am sure there is no cause for concern.”  
  
“If you don’t have any information, how can you be so sure she’s safe?”  
  
“Ba Sing Se is the safest city of all the nations,” Joo Dee’s inflection was the same as it was when she first welcomed them to the city. Her smile remained plastered on her face, sometimes changing in width, but never wavering.  
  
“Hey guys- wait, what’s going on?” Aang walked through the door, Momo on his shoulder. Grey eyes widened and then narrowed. Momo scampered back to one of the bedrooms.  
  
Sokka sheathed his sword too late and color rose in Aang’s cheeks. He marched across the room, standing toe to toe with Sokka.  
  
“I told you, we were not going to use violence against innocents.” He jabbed his staff at Sokka’s chest before spinning to face Toph. “So what were you thinking?”  
  
“Cool it, Twinkletoes, and watch were you are spinning that stick of yours or I will break it.” Toph said, crossing her arms across her chest.  
  
“Aang, I know you’re upset. Toph, you’re not helping. But Aang, seriously, you cannot tell me you think Joo Dee is innocent in this. She has been watching us ever since we got here. Katara goes missing and she says she has no idea where she went.”  
  
“Actually, Master Sokka,” Joo Dee interjected, “I am only here to serve as your guide.”  
  
While Sokka gave Joo Dee a withering stare and Aang frowned, Toph took it upon herself to shove Joo Dee into Katara’s room and barricade the door. Joo Dee yelped the door shut, but then fell silent.  
  
“If you two knuckleheads are done arguing, I have some bad news. Joo Dee is telling the truth. She doesn’t know where Katara is.”  
  
“See, Sokka, I told you-” Aang began, but Toph held up a hand.  
  
“But I bet you she has some pretty good guesses in her.”  
  
  
  


  


\--  
She was woken violently from sleep, a gag thrust in her mouth and another pair of hands hoisting her up by her good arm. She tried to scream, but a sharp blow to her abdomen convinced her it was useless. She was forced to her knees and then two sets of hands dragged her by her arms out of her room and down a dark hallway. The grip on her broken arm was so painful, she saw stars and felt tears fall, but she did not struggle any further.  
  
At the end of a hall, they tied her feet together with rope. She tried to look to see who was doing this to her, but someone grabbed her chin and forced her to look straight ahead. No one made a sound. She wondered how long they had been planning to do this to her if they could move in complete silence.  
  
Someone hoisted her up in their arms and she strained to make out their features in the darkness. Perhaps if she could get them to look at her, she could show them that she didn’t mean any harm and they didn’t have to hurt her. But as quickly as she was picked up, she felt her body hurtling out into the expanse. She began to fall.  
  
When she hit the water below, it felt like she had hit a brick wall. She began to flail, trying to tread water, but a tugging sensation on her feet pulled her down rapidly. She used both arms, no matter how excruciating the pain was, to keep her head above water but it was no use.  
  
She was pulled under and began to drown.


	3. Improvisation

TW: Gaslighting, Mentions of Drowning, Violence

>   
>  _“Somtimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes the choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all.” - Neil Gaiman, Seasons of the Mist_

When she woke, she was in her room. She tried to sit up, but felt thick leather tug across her chest and waist. She began to panic and her good hand searched frantically for a way to free herself. When Geli placed a hand on her shoulder, she let out a yelp.   
  
“Hey, hey, it’s only me,” Geli offered a reassuring smile, but his dark brown eyebrows were creased with worry. “You kept tossing and turning in the night. We were worried you might hurt yourself.”   
  
“No. No, no, last night there were two people, I think, maybe three. They came in and dragged me out of my room, they threw me into the water-” She clawed at him the way she had tried to claw to the surface. It did not matter if she drew blood, so long as she found purchase.   
  
“You were dreaming. You must have been dreaming about the night when we found you in East Lake,” Geli’s voice was soothing, hypnotic, and he moved slowly to undo the buckles that held her to the bed. He proceeded calmly, even as her nails dug into his skin. As if she was nothing more than a frightened child after a bad dream. She had to make him understand. Panic choked her. She felt her chest heave, the air stealing all moisture from her mouth, as she stared at him blankly. “We were worried with all your moving, you would reinjure your arm.” He paused, placing a hand on his chest, his head bowed. “I was worried about you.”   
  
“Geli, it was real,” she insisted. She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arm around her knees. She shook her head, eyes shut and brows furrowed. It had been too real. Her lungs had burned and ached. She had kicked with all her might, but she had been lost in the dark waters. In the end, she had even wriggled out of her sling and tried to swim with both arms. It still ached.   
  
“I believe you, I do. But your mind is misremembering the sequence. Last night, you were safe in your room. I stood guard. No one would hurt you here. This I swear to you.” She frowned, even as she felt her pulse slow. She looked first at her clothes, then her blankets and saw that they were all dry. Surely they would not be dry if she had been drowned last night. Surely she would not be here if she had drowned last night. She had felt the weight pulling her under with the same certainty she felt Geli’s hands on her now. She balled both hands into fists, shaking with frustration and panic. Hot tears ran down her cheeks.   
  
“What is happening to me, Geli? I don’t know what’s real. I don’t even know my name, I think I am losing my-” She sobbed, her voice breaking. Geli folded her into his arms and rubbed her back, hushing her and murmuring reassurances.   
  


  


\--  
He crept through Ba Sing Se silently. He jumped from building to building, using the dark as his cover. The Dai Li agent remained behind, ankles and wrists bound, his uniform exchanged for a tunic. Iroh would see the agent was not hurt too badly and watch over him while he searched for the Avatar’s bison. Of course, if the agent remained with Iroh, he would not be able to alert the others that the Blue Spirit had Lake Lagoi in his sights. It surprised him, how much easier his task had become when Iroh was involved. Zuko had expected the old man to argue with him each step of the way or slow him down, but Iroh had done neither.   
  
Was it because Iroh finally accepted the Blue Spirit as a necessary part of his life? Or was it because he finally agreed with the Blue Spirit’s mission? Regardless, it was nice to have help. The Dai Li uniform rested in his knapsack, its weight a fair exchange for a back up plan. He was glad for starting out early- before the sunset- as the moon was high in the sky before Lake Lagoi was even on the horizon. It surprised him that the Dai Li’s base would be so far from the center of Ba Sing Se, but he supposed if they already controlled everything, distance was a small price to pay for complete secrecy. As he approached, evidence of the Dai Li’s arrogance became glaringly obvious. It was far too easy to approach their base and even easier to sneak in through its tunnels. Of course, most people did not station guards outside their sewage tunnels. But Zuko had grown up in Capital City, where Ozai’s paranoia dictated policy.   
  
The tunnels were unpleasant, but he would take his chances with sewage over relying on brute force anyday. The element of surprise was far too valuable to lose. He took his time, mapping out as much of Lake Lagoi as he could. Now that he was inside, it did not matter if the sun rose. Not even the darkness of night could provide cover for smuggling a ten ton bison to freedom. With each bit of information, his hatred of the Dai Li intensified. He saw dozens of women, reciting nonsensical phrases in unison. He caught a glimpse of Jet, the boy from the ferry, and noted the absence of fury and bitterness. He saw men, women, and children, in theadbare rags with sunken eyes staring dumbly ahead, either unaware or unphased by the vermin that shared their cells.   
  
It took hours before he found the Avatar’s bison. He abandoned the tunnels for the air ducts, wriggling forward on his stomach to keep silent. He searched the cells adjacent to the bison’s prison, wanting to ensure that he would be immediately discovered if coaxing the beast to freedom was necessary. Most of the surrounding cells were empty, save for one.   
  
She was almost unrecognizable, dressed in Earth Kingdom colors, with her right arm wrapped tightly and resting in a sling. Her light brown hair was pulled into a bun and he frowned. In all the months he had hunted the Avatar and his companions, he had never seen the waterbender dressed so plainly. She was thinner than the last time he had seen them, far too thin for the weight loss to be natural. It had only been weeks since he had run into them. He still remembered the way she had approached, her voice gentle, as if he had been the one struck down instead of Iroh. He felt his cheeks heat, shame constricting his throat, as he remembered how he had screamed at her. The girl he saw now did not look capable of healing anyone. Even sleeping, her brows were furrowed and she grimaced.   
  
For the briefest of moments, he considered leaving her. He could tie a scroll to the bison, telling the Avatar where she was. It would have be difficult enough to sneak out of Lake Lagoi alone, but with the waterbender so injured, it would be nearly impossible. _I can help, Zuko,_ she had pleaded. He sighed. If there roles were reversed, she would save him. She would not hesitate, he was sure of it. Uncle would not have entertained even the idea of leaving her behind. _What would be left? What would you choose?_ His Uncle’s voice echoed in his head as he took a dagger to the opening, unscrewing the gates and slipped into her cell.   
  
He landed quietly, but still she woke with a start. Her eyes widened with fear- which was no surprise. Even if the Avatar had told his friends about the Blue Spirit, she had never seen him. She opened her mouth but Zuko pounced, covering her mouth and holding her close, muffling her cries. “Katara, shut up,” He pleaded, his voice hoarse. “I’m here to help. And I know where the Avatar’s bison is. Just stay quiet and I will bring you to him.” He expected her to at least pause and consider his words, but she continued to struggle. She bit down on his hand and he hissed, but refused to uncover her mouth. “Katara, stop it.” To his horror, she began to bang her head against the wall. She was determined to make as much noise as possible. They wrestled and at first, he tried to be mindful of her bad arm, but he quickly abandoned that idea. He could not afford to fight fair and keep them both safe.   
  
He hit her in the back of the head with the hilt of his dagger and she fell limp into his arms. He heard footsteps approaching and placed her back on the bed, pulling the blanket to cover her. He slid under her bedframe, holding himself upright and flat against its underside. He slowed his breathing. He heard two pairs of footsteps enter. He felt the weight of one on the bed, felt it shake slightly with the effort.   
  
“She is out cold. So what was all the noise?”   
  
“Nightmares probably. We should probably rebuckle her. He will be furious if she injures herself.” The bed groaned with their manipulations. Zuko heard six buckles click into place before the bed was still again.  
  
“Do you think-”  
  
“Do not start. Not in here. You know better.” The reprimand was clear, but Zuko was lost as to what prompted it. There was sound of footsteps retreating, then of a door shut gently. He held his position, even as his muscle began to twitch and ache. He did not lower himself again until he heard the conversation continue, but even if he strained he could pick up nothing but the presence of their voices. Slowly, he held each individual leather strap taut before slicing through it. He was careful to keep the buckles from clanging and announcing his intentions. Mercifully, Katara remained unconscious. It would only make his retreat more difficult, but it was a price he would gladly pay for silence. He looked back up to the air vent. If she had cooperated, he could have hoisted her up. But it would be nearly impossible to return the way he entered, even if he did not have her added weight. Uncle’s earlier reprimand echoed in his head. _You never think these things through, Zuko._   
  
_I had to improvise, Uncle. Even the best laid plans go to waste._   
  
He wondered if Uncle would have a proverb for his current predicament. Perhaps he would invent one on the spot and pass it off as ancient knowledge. He looked back at Katara, wondering if he should leave her and free the bison first before returning to her. But if guards returned to her cell to find her unrestrained, they would know someone was attempting to rescue her. They might even go to secure her first if they suspected the bison was escaping. The ties between the Avatar and his bison might run deeply, but Zuko had seen the way the monk had protected his friends. He was sure the Avatar would turn over every rock in Ba Sing Se in his effort to find Katara. Zuko picked her off the bed slowly, careful to avoid the buckles. The bed creaked, but otherwise kept its silence. He tossed her over his shoulder and kept a single blade ready. He paused, taking stock of how different his certain felt. He could not afford to be thrown off balance. Once revealed, he would have only seconds to free the bison and escape.   
  
Perhaps the spirits decided to smile upon him, because as Zuko opened the door the guards fell backwards with arms outstretched. He bolted to the sounds of their surprised cries and felt chunks of the earth whistle past his ears. He had to cut down two guards before he arrived at the bison’s door, barreling towards it as fast as he could with his added burden. He was glad for Katara’s weight as they collided into the door, its hinges surrendering under their combined force. They landed badly, although he knew Katara took the brunt of it. He rolled to his feet, yanking her close to him again as he sliced the chains with his newly heated blade that held its hind legs. The bison roared and Zuko winced, but pressed forward. He ducked another boulder, but the bison yelped with pain. Its nostrils flared and it bellowed. Zuko watched as nearly a dozen guards began to barricade the cell. As it grew taller, he heard the metal walls of the cell groan. He saw the walls begin to press inward. _They would rather crush us than allow us to escape_ , he thought. The bison came to the same conclusion and began to frantically pull at its remaining bindings. Zuko cut through another set of chains and then stopped in front of the beast. He set Katara down in front of it, holding his newly freed hand out towards the beast.   
  
“Easy there, big guy. Easy. We’re on the same team now,” Zuko said, keeping his voice calm. The beast regarded him for a long moment. Zuko would never admit it later on, but he could have sworn in that instant that the bison nodded its understanding. Zuko sliced through the last chain. The beast shook, but did not move to flee. Instead, it lowered its head completely flat on the ground.   
  
Zuko took its invitation gladly, dragging Katara close before ascending and then pulling her up. He laid her prone, careful to turn her head to the side and slid his sheath so it was against his chest. The beast raised its head and Zuko lowered himself on top of her, clutching its fur tightly. Zuko braced himself for the beast to barrel towards the wall, but to his horror watched as it flew upward.   
  
He tugged Katara’s head into the crook of his arm just as he felt the ceiling break against its back.


End file.
